Grounds maintenance

Island Roads is responsible for carrying out a programme of grass cutting, maintenance of vegetation on the highway, verge cutting, verge maintenance and weed spraying.

Around 1,350,000 square metres of Highway verges are cut to ensure that people can use roads and footways safely and to maintain a tidy appearance. This includes verges in residential areas as well as rural verges and visibility splays at road junctions.

How can I report a grounds maintenance issue?

What can be done to ensure that hedges other than those maintained by Island Roads are kept correctly?

It is Island Roads' responsibility to maintain the safety of the highway network and to ensure that landowners responsible for any hedges bordering the highway maintain them to avoid problems. In many cases landowners are not aware of their responsibilities for maintaining hedges. When Island Roads becomes aware of a hedge requiring maintenance, an “Overhanging Hedge Notice” is served on the landowner or occupier under the Highways Act 1980. This gives the landowner 14 days to undertake the necessary maintenance work. In the event that the maintenance is not carried out and that no contact has been made with Island Roads, Island Roads may carry out the work itself and recharge the landowner.

Whether landowners cut the hedges themselves or use a contractor to carry out the work, all debris resulting from cutting the hedge must be removed from both the footway and the road and the work must be carried out in a safe manner which does not put themselves or other road users in danger.

Are Island Roads responsible for the maintenance of public footpaths?

No - The Isle of Wight Council remains responsible for all public rights of way. To report an issue in this area or to find out more about the service, visit the Isle of Wight Council's website.